Young Folks Treasury, Volume 2 (of 12) eBook

“William Tell!” said Stauffacher in astonishment.
“I heard from Walter Fuerst that you were a
prisoner. Thank Heaven that you are free again.”

“I am free,” said Tell; “you, too,
are free. Gessler is dead.”

“Gessler dead!” exclaimed Stauffacher.
“Now indeed have we cause for thankfulness.
Tell me, how did it happen?” and he drew William
Tell into the house.

Tell soon told all his story. Then Stauffacher,
seeing how weary he was, gave him food and made him
rest.

That night Tell slept well. All next day he remained
hidden in Stauffacher’s house. “You
must not go,” said his friend, “Gessler’s
soldiers will be searching for you.” But
when evening came Tell crept out into the dark again,
and kind friends rowed him across the lake back to
Flueelen. There, where a few days before he had
been a prisoner, he landed, now free.

Tell went at once to Walter Fuerst’s house,
and soon messengers were hurrying all through the
land to gather together again the Confederates, as
those who had met on that eventful night were called.

This time they gathered with less fear and less secrecy,
for was not the dreaded governor dead? Not one
but was glad, yet some of the Confederates blamed
Tell, for they had all promised to wait until the
first of January before doing anything. “I
know,” said Tell, “but he drove me to
it.” And every man there who had left a
little boy at home felt that he too might have done
the same thing.

Now that Tell had struck the first blow, some of the
Confederates wished to rise at once. But others
said, “No, it is only a few weeks now until
New Year’s Day. Let us wait.”

So they waited, and everything seemed quiet and peaceful
in the land, for the Emperor sent no governor to take
Gessler’s place, as he was far away in Austria,
too busy fighting and quarreling there to think of
Switzerland in the meantime. “When I have
finished this war,” he said, “it will
be time enough to crush these Swiss rebels.”

HERO OF PERSIA

RUSTEM

ADAPTED BY ALFRED J. CHURCH

I

THE SEVEN ADVENTURES OF RUSTEM

King Keikobad died, and his son Kaoues sat upon his
throne. At first he was a moderate and prudent
prince; but finding his riches increase, and his armies
grow more and more numerous, he began to believe that
there was no one equal to him in the whole world, and
that he could do what he would. One day as he
sat drinking in one of the chambers of his palace,
and boasting after his custom, a Genius, disguised
as a minstrel, came to the King’s chamberlain,
and desired to be admitted to the royal presence.
“I came,” he said, “from the country
of the Genii, and I am a sweet singer. Maybe
the King, if he were to hear me, would give me a post
in his court.”